5 Awesome Typography Tips: How to Design with Fonts and Rock It

Can I be honest for a minute?

I hate logos. I really do. It’s the main reason I opted out of going to college for graphic design. I really, really didn’t want a career that required me to sit in a cubicle and make logos for businesses all day.

Fortunately, even though graphic design is a big part of my career now, I don’t have to make boring logos all day. Nor do I have to sit in a cubicle.

But I think the reason that people struggle with logos is the font.

I also think the reason why bloggers struggle with social media design is that it’s the blogger-equivalent to logos.

You need that eye-catching (but not overwhelming) font design on each image.

So whether you are working on your logo or working on your social media designs, hopefully, these tips can help!

Side note: I have a really helpful cheatsheet at the bottom of this post, so keep an eye out for it- it’s a must-have for your blogging binder!!

Design with font: 5 Awesome typography tips

(By the way, “typography” is just a fancy word for designing with fonts and we actually have a whole lesson dedicated to this in our Canva 101 Workshop!)

1. Pair script with sans-serif

Of course, there are exceptions to this rule but the gist of it is that script fonts pair best with sans-serif fonts.

If you are unfamiliar with a sans-serif font, here’s an example of a serif font and a sans-serif font so you can see the difference:

I think the reason being that script is fairly “complicated” to the eye and sans-serif is on the simpler side, so they compliment each other well.

Unlike my husband and I who both hate the dishes and laundry equally as much (seriously, why can’t he like washing dishes? Is that even a thing? Do people actually like doing dishes?😂)

2. Never use more than one script

Two different scripts should never be used in the same design. It’s way too overwhelming and can be hard for the eye to read.

The only time I ever use a second script is when I’m using a “&” symbol (ampersand) and I want it to look different than the one that comes with the script I’ve used in the text. Personally, I like the sweepy, elegant looking “&” symbols. (Tip: Great Vibes font has an awesome ampersand)

3. Stick to 3 different fonts per design (or less)

I actually learned this one in school and I’d say it holds true (even though they didn’t teach us how to create Pinterest perfect pins… Actually, Pinterest didn’t even exist 🤔)

I’d say in an average design, I use up to 3 fonts. Two different fonts in the header and (maybe) a separate font for body text.

In my Pinterest images, I still use 3. Generally, I use a san serif font, a bold/large font, and a script font.

4. Use a cheatsheet to find font pairings that go together

This is where my cheatsheet comes into play! I’ve literally talked to people who have spent hours trying to mix the right fonts. This is a good example of bad ROI (return on investment).

But I get it, and I’ve totally been there.

SO, having a little cheatsheet as a quick reference can be a total lifesaver. The cheatsheet I put together is specifically Canva fonts so you don’t have to worry about paid ones. If you have a paid (brand specific) font, look on the cheatsheet and try to find one that looks similar so you can see what pairs well.

5. Get a signature “brand” font to use in all your designs (& where to get them)

Investing in a brand-specific font can be a big game changer. I’m not one to get obsessively “brand-y” in all of my designs, but I do think that it provides consistency in your products and also saves you time from having to come up with something totally different each time.

I also think it benefits you to have a brand specific font in your social media images. Not only will people start to think of you and your business when they see your pins (and your font) but it will also help your designs stand out among a very overly saturated social media platform.

There is an argument as well for Pinterest putting images with unique images and fonts in front of more eyes. I think this is mostly because so many people are using the same images and fonts (you know, because they’re free) that Pinterest gets them confused and thinks it’s duplicate content.

My favorite place to get signature fonts is Font Bundles and Creative Market— they sometimes have free signature fonts or font bundles that give you a TON of fonts for a low, low price.

Bonus Tip: Use a LOT of text boxes

Here’s an extra tip. I think most people would be amazed at how many text boxes I actually have in a design (even my pins). I actually have a different text box for every line and every font; with the exception of long bodies of text, like in a workbook.

The benefit of this being that I can put my lines of text close together, line them up in unique ways, and I can have “accent” words that are in different fonts. I personally think this brings your overall design to the next level and helps it stand out in the crowd.

Truth time. Every single thing you design represents you and your brand. But close is only good in horseshoes and handgrenades. If your social media graphics, products, and lead magnets are not jumping off the page and grabbing people-- they won’t be noticed. You need to stand out. You need to capture people long enough for them to actually read your brilliant words. Simplifying DIY Design is here to help you create astonishing graphics that jump off the page. What does that mean for you? More impact. More growth. More money. Read More!

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